Poor regulation fuels junk food crisis in Abuja, six states - Report

Weak enforcement of food regulations has enabled aggressive marketing and widespread consumption of unhealthy food in seven states in Nigeria, worsening the country’s non-communicable disease (NCD) burden, a new report by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).

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The Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, released the findings of the report on Wednesday in Lagos.

The report, “Junk on Our Plates: Exposing Deceptive Marketing of Unhealthy Foods Across Seven States in Nigeria”, exposed the regulatory gaps and policy loopholes that many companies use to push ultra-processed, sugar-heavy products into homes, schools, and religious spaces.

“Nigerians are now dealing with diseases that were once considered ‘Oyibo sickness.’ Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases now rank among the leading causes of death,” Mr Oluwafemi said.

“Together, they account for more than 30 percent of all annual deaths in Nigeria.”

The report by CAPPA comes amid growing concerns about Nigeria’s shifting food culture. In Nigeria, many traditional diets rich in grains, legumes, and vegetables are increasingly being replaced by processed snacks, sugary drinks, and fast food options.

This dietary transition, common in many urban and some rural settings, have been linked to the rise in NCDs and health costs.

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According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), NCDs are a significant health problem in Nigeria.

WHO stated that the age-standardised mortality rate across four major NCDs (Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Respiratory Disease, Cancer and Diabetes) were 565 per 100,000 in males, and 546 in females in 2021.

But despite Nigeria’s efforts on the NCD progress indicators in areas including the NCD policy and plan, tobacco taxes, tobacco advertising bans, tobacco health warnings, and alcohol taxes, there is limited progress against a subset of the indicators. These include tobacco smoke free/pollution, tobacco media campaigns, salt policies, trans fat policies, marketing to children and physical activity awareness.

Also, the Lead Strategist of Gatefield, Adewunmi Emoruwa, stressed that Nigeria records over 684,000 deaths from NCDs every year.

“NCDs are responsible for over 684,000 deaths annually in Nigeria—equivalent to wiping out the entire population of Luxembourg every single year. This preventable crisis can no longer be ignored,” Mr Emoruwa explained.

He also said NCD-related deaths in Nigeria have increased from 24 per cent in 2010 to 29 per cent in 2024.

Aggressive marketing, deceptive labels

The report stated that between April and July 2024, CAPPA deployed youth volunteers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and six states – Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, and Osun – to investigate offline marketing practices.

The report stated that the findings carried out across 54 communities showed a pattern of culturally adapted and deceptive advertising strategies.

In Imo State, for instance, yoghurt drinks with high sugar content were falsely labelled as “not sugary.” In Lagos and Abuja, Coca-Cola and Pepsi were found bundling their products with fast food chains like Burger King during Ramadan, offering discounts to drive mass consumption.

Also, in Kaduna and Nasarawa states, the report said, food seasoning brands used Hausa-language ads and sponsored kiosks to embed themselves in everyday household cooking routines.

“No brand warned consumers about the dangers of excessive consumption,” the report noted. “Instead, the industry capitalised on local traditions, youth culture, and religious events to mask health risks.”

Policy efforts and loopholes

Mr Oluwafemi noted that in 2021, the federal government introduced a N10 per litre Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax to reduce sugary drink consumption.

He said this was followed by NAFDAC’s 2023 regulations on trans fats and food labelling. Most recently, the Federal Ministry of Health launched the National Sodium Reduction Guidelines in March 2025 to combat salt-heavy diets.

But Mr Oluwafemi said enforcement has been weak.

“These companies operate like the tobacco industry once did: covert marketing, targeting children, using influencers, and distorting health information,” Mr Oluwafemi said. “Some even exploit weak border controls to bypass standards altogether.”

While the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) confirmed collecting over N100 billion from SSB taxes between 2022 and 2024, public health experts have criticised the lack of transparency in how those funds are used, with little evidence of reinvestment into preventive health campaigns.

Call for stricter measures

The report recommends increasing the SSB tax to at least N130 per litre, which aligns with recent recommendations by the National Action on Sugar Reduction (NASR) Coalition.

It also calls for a ban on unhealthy food marketing near schools and in low-income neighbourhoods, mandatory front-of-packaging labelling, and tighter limits on salt, sugar, and trans fat content in processed foods.

The report further warns against the influence of corporations in policymaking, citing examples of food industry funding in nutrition conferences and school programmes.

“Food policymaking must be state-led and free from corporate interference,” CAPPA said.

Towards a food justice movement

The research was supported by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator and executed by young volunteers under CAPPA’s Healthy Food Policy Youth Vanguard initiative.

Mr Oluwafemi described it as the beginning of a national movement for food justice.

“This is about fairness,” he said. “Whether you live in Maitama or Makoko, you deserve access to food that nourishes your body. It’s a human right, not a luxury.”